A disused Victorian shopping centre in Peckham is set to be converted into a nightclub that stays open until 6am.
The Jones & Higgins department store on Rye Lane, once home to the Peckham Palais club, would become a nightclub, live music and bar under the plans.
First opened in 1867, the stunning Neo-Renaissance building, renowned for its distinctive Venetian-Renaissance clocktower, has been described as “London’s most endangered building”.
Under the plans, submitted earlier this month, the first, second and third floors would all be used for nightlife.
A management plan has suggested the venue could stay open till 6am on Fridays and Saturdays, 5am on Sundays, and 11pm Monday to Thursday.
It is hoped the new venue would improve what an architectural firm described as a “lack of” live music venues in the area.
Vintage photographs reveal Peckham’s Victorian department store that rivalled Oxford Street
The building, which isn’t listed despite local campaigners’ efforts to get it recognised by Historic England, would require extensive repairs.
Passers-by will be accustomed to the building’s dilapidated appearance, complete with broken windows and covered in graffiti.
The applicant has asked designers to create computer-generated images of what the first floor could look like.
One photo shows a spacious, plush-looking bar with marble-effect tables and modern furniture.
The Jones & Higgins building was a mainstay of Peckam’s retail sector from the Victorian era until it closed in 1980.
It was so popular that Victorian consumers are said to have considered it South London’s answer to Oxford Street.
Neighbours have been notified about the planning application, and have until November 14 to share their views on it.
Southwark Council’s planning committee would have to approve the plans before any conversion gets underway.